This was my course for 26 1/2 years

During my years as an instructor, assistant professor and chair in the Journalism-Photography Department at San Antonio College, this is the course I taught -- to several hundred students. 

I did not use a textbook for most of those years because students did not read the text -- instead, I provided handouts and later links to information on the Internet.  These are the handouts and links I used.

You will find handouts on all topics in the course in the far right column, beginning with "Brainstorming." If you find a link that is not working, please let me know here Chet Hunt

COMM 1307 - Introduction to Mass Communications

Newspaper in slumberland

The trials and tribulations which resulted in modern newspapers should not be forgotten.

How silly of me to think that students would be edge-of-the-seat interested in something that happened more than 300 years ago, especially to a news medium which is shrinking before their eyes.

Not everyone tuned out (and thanks to those who stayed awake) but it's difficult to make the fight for freedom of the press seem "up there" in excitement with the latest about Brad and Angie or the octuplets mom.

Perhaps later in life students will wonder about the birth of American newspapers and dig more deeply into their origins.

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Some of the information we covered:

Difficulty of printing — Presses used in 1692 hadn't changed much from the one Gutenberg used 250 years before. They were made mostly of wood with a lever-operated screw to bring the platen down to the form on the bed of the press. The type was inked by a sheepskin ball filled with wool and attached to a hickory stick; the apprentice boy held two such sticks, transferring the ink from the slab to the form and often getting more ink on himself than the form. It took a full-grown man to pull the lever which resulted in the printing impression being transferred to the paper. 200 impressions per hour was considered a top rate of speed.

Little news; no local news — News gathering consisted of two primary sources: other newspapers and ship's captains. Recognizing the value of other newspapers, editors would give ships captains a stack of their own papers in exchange for single copies from other areas. Ship's captains, on occasion, could provide eyewitness accounts of some news events; typically the aftermath of a natural disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake. For these reasons, for the most part, news printed in newspapers of this era was at least one month old and more typically 6 months old and most of it happening hundreds, if not thousands of miles away. Towns were so small that everyone knew what was going only locally. It was for this reason that a newspaper rarely had local news in their pages.

A third source of news was from people who wrote letters to the editor. These letters were not the kind that we think of today when we hear that phrase. Rather, some people made a hobby of writing letters to editors of faraway newspapers giving the details of a recent major news event in their area. One could say that these were the first reporters although they never got paid for their efforts. ..It is from these people that we owe the original of the term "Foreign Correspondent" and "War Correspondent" used still today in the newspaper trade.

A newspaper editor in colonial times certainly had to be creative to fill the pages of his paper. Take for example the Boston News-Letter of August 10, 1719. Despite having correspondents in New York, Newport, Piscataqua (Portsmouth), Philadelphia, and Salem, the following excerpt appeared:

"There is nothing arrived either here or Philadelphia since my last, and therefore not a word of News. It is now a North East storm of Wind and Snow, blows hard and is very Cold."

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Then, came Hearst and Pulitzer with their amazingly ersatz accounts of the sinking of the Maine. The Journal offered a reward to attract attention and The World provided a fascinating illustration of the blast with tiny sailors flying off in all directions. Amazing

So, you see, little tidbits of fascinating facts can cause a greater interest in the subject but can't always find their place in a class lecture-discussion.

Advertising idea that's 'slick'

It would be nice to see the alternative to the greasy burgers. This is certainly an interesting concept, but it doesn't sell anything.

An energetic Thursday class

Groups decide on magazine contents

Planning a magazine depends on determining the demographics and aligning the readers in the demographic target with the formula. In this case, we looked at a formula of participatory sports, health issues, celebrity interview, personal finance and fashion.

The three groups were: men and woman 18-25, kids from 8 to 13 and seniors 50 and above.

Then, the groups named their magazine, wrote titles and decided on sidebars.

We looked at a book for freelance writers called "Writer's Market," and we talked about the query letter.

Part of the learning experience from this class was to work with a group and in a group. Prospective employers — regardless of the career field — want people who can contribute ideas and listen to other workers' ideas with an open mind. I see too much reticence (not revealing one's thoughts or feelings) in these classes. Usually the group leader emerges when the other group members allow it. The emerging leader asks the others for input — which is good. But when group members clam up and lose interest, the dynamics disappear. Group work requires concentration on the task at hand.
A word about note-taking: Even if the material is available online, a student still can benefit from taking notes in class. Maybe the professor will give an interesting example (we hope) that isn't in the online information or in the text. Or, maybe an ad hoc side discussion happened which could help in understanding concepts.

Addition to this from an Intro class taught by a former student, Teresa Talerico, who teaches now at San Antonio College.  Two students' cover designs and their target audiences. Clever and fun -- right on target. Bravo!

Radio really not dull, boring

History of radio not most exciting topic.

Radio is so yesterday.

But the drama of a burgeoning enterprise, growing from coast to coast and reaching millions of people cannot be reproduced in a classroom.

From Marconi's baby steps to David Sarnoff (left) and his gutsy entry into the network business, through the radio network war with William Paley, intrigue filled the airwaves.

The competition for talent between Paley and Sarnoff brought us a plethora of vaudeville acts and new talent such as Bing Crosby and Kate Smith. Listeners loved the competition because it meant better talent would be on the airwaves.

The early invention by Lee DeForest (right) enabled transmission and subsequent improvements, and BINGO, the Golden Age of Radio happened. It's one of those "you'd have to be there" moments.

I remember sitting with my grandmother and listening to "I Love a Mystery" and imagining eerie things and shuddering at the drama. We stared at the radio as we listened, believe it or not.

That doesn't happen anymore. Radio has lost its glitter and glamor and become a collection of sound-alike stations owned by giant corporations existing to provide advertising to the target of each station. Any semblance of creativity or original thought has disappeared, in my opinion. Click here to tell me what you think.

The video in class today made you aware of the power of radio at the time of its growth: the need by the public to escape from the Depression angst with the humor of comedians like Amos and Andy, who reached 40 million people. That's a bigger audience than Rush Limbaugh's. The genius of Abbott and Costello and the famous "Who's on First" routine. The Big Band programs that provided music to places like my home town.

The coverage of WWII by radio correspondents was monumental. No other medium could capture the moment as well. Newspapers had to wait for wire reports. There was no TV or Internet. So, we learned about the war through Edward R. Murrow (left) report after the war and his cohorts and through newsreels in theaters. These newsreels were usually weeks old and contained a lot of government-approved information.



"War of the Worlds" showed the power of radio when hundreds ran into the streets after hearing that a space ship had landed in New England. Orson Welles had to go into hiding for awhile.




The Hindenburg Disaster showed the power of radio.



And reassuring Fireside Chats from President Franklin D. Roosevelt kept a war-weary citizenry feel more secure during the long war. (The current wars have lasted longer, but we don't get the same kind of reporting today.)

So there you have it. Radio in a nutshell. It still holds a place in an advertiser's desire to reach specific target audiences, but that's about it. If you look on the Class: Radio site at commercials and listen to a few, you will see the difference.

So, if you snoozed through class (and I certainly understand the possibility) you can relive what you missed by clicking on the links above.

See you Thursday.

The written report assignment

This is a handout used for help for writing the Career Interview report.

You will be doing the work of a reporter, sort of, so look at this Checklist for Reporters.

Look at Interviewing for tips on framing questions and listening as the story develops.  Note nonverbals and capture them in your writing.

Write your five-page report as a Feature story.

Lead — Look in the Features handout for examples of kinds of leads, the opening paragraphs of the feature story. After the lead, write the remainder of the report this way.

Use short paragraphs.

Summary Statement — an indirect quote which introduces information.

Direct Quote — exact words that back up the information in the summary statement.

Repeat

Add biographical information toward the end or weave it throughout in apposition or as description.

The ending should tie back to the Lead.

Example:
Lead: John Doe, a 1979 University of Texas graduate, began working at radio station KMOL in Beaumont in 1980, but he moved to the much larger KTRK in Houston in 1990.

And the move has proved beneficial, he said.

“I considered it a move in the right direction,” Doe said, adjusting his blue and red striped tie and leaning forward to make his point. “I never regretted the move.”

Summary Statement — Doe got his first job right out of journalism school, something that is not so common today. Job statistics from the National Broadcasters Association indicate that graduates often have to wait more than a year before finding employment.

Direct Quote — “It helped that I had done an internship my senior year at UT,” Doe said. “I would recommend that anyone looking for a job should have an internship on his or her resume.”

Summary Statement — Most new hires in a radio station begin as production assistants, Doe said, explaining that this is often an unpaid position much like an internship.

Direct Quote — “Get your foot in the door,” Doe recommends. “One day, someone will not come in to work and you will be ready and able to fill in.”

Ending. Tie back to the beginning, or end with a direct quote. The one directly above would be a good one in this example.

Technical requirements/format for the interview report: Five page minimum. No maximum, but write tightly. Typewritten, double-spaced on white 8 1/2 x 11 paper with 1-inch margins. Use a cover sheet with ONLY this information centered on the page.

Include a business card, taped or glued to the cover page of your report.
Staple the report in the upper left. Please do not use a report cover or place the report in a cellophane wrapper.

Spelling and language use will be considered as part of the grading. Click here for grammar and spelling help. Spelling errors will reduce grades by 2 points per error. Take care to proofread your paper thoroughly and have at least one other person read it for errors. You may correct typing errors neatly in pen on the original. Grade criteria include quality, completeness, effective language use and following directions. LATE PAPERS will NOT be accepted.

Advertising comes after PR

Public Relations was part of the final exam

Bernice, the Food Pantry pooch, guards the donations at Pack the Prius in this photo on Moody mall by Tyler Cleveland, The Ranger, on April 17.

This will be a problem on the final exam.

For those who attended class today, thank you. For the others, I hope you have a good Easter break.

Monday is the drop date.

In class, after a video on Public Relations and a brief description of where PR is found, we talked about a PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN for the Food Pantry at San Antonio College. You have the background on the handout above, and here is part of the class discussions.

We decided that your formal and informal RESEARCH should include the following: What is the exact name of the program? What is the extent of the problem? Numbers? Need? How do we reach people who need help? How do we reach people who may donate? What are some similar campaigns, such as the creatively named "Rock and Roll Up Your Sleeve" campaign on KISS radio (thanks Andrew). Look at other campaigns that have been successful. Background of the program.

Formal research includes available data on the Internet or from readings, focus groups in which a representative group of the target interact with a moderator, questionnaires and more "scientific" methods of data gathering. Informal research involves indirect methods of collecting data. Rather than gathering information from reputed sites, books, and/or scientific surveys, information would be gathered from unscientific methods, such as talking to individuals directly related with the client, interviewing the target audience, and/or informal surveys(questionnaires, telephone surveys...).

The ACTION PLAN consists of developing a strategic message, a theme line or slogan (some suggestions were: Free Food, Will Learn for Food, Help is Near) and who might be a sponsor besides the Catholic Student Center, L&M Bookstore, Susan Spencer's ECON class, Phi Theta Kappa. Someone suggested H-E-B, but what other corporate sponsors may help. Any other possibilities, such as neighborhood associations near campus, public and private high schools, churches, service organizations such as Lions, Rotary and others. You may suggest one radio station, one TV station, one weekly newspaper, area businesses, etc.,

Also, think about a logo or icon. (See apple example and Feed the Need example above.) Here is a site on How to Design a Logo.




Here are LOGOS from similar campaigns. (left and below)



What COMMUNICATIONS would you consider? Media alerts, backgrounders, feature story pitches, bulletin boards (think creatively), a web site, sponsors (radio stations, television stations, weekly newspapers), brochures to place in Counseling Office and other locations, area church bulletins may include information about the Food Pantry, op ed piece in newspapers, letters to the editor, photos of people donating, public service announcements (audio) for KSYM and The Ranger Online (print).

As a SPECIAL EVENT, how about a concert with local bands? Here's a site explaining how to do it. Plan a food drive concert

How about a celebrity spokesperson? Someone attractive to the target. One problem is that this campaign has more than one target. Donors, students or staff in need, the community in general. So, a Spur or a Silver Star could work. Or a DJ or TV anchor could work. Or maybe a musician. Review the demographics of your people in need and see if a Hispanic celebrity would be more appropriate. In the photo for The Ranger shown at the top of this post, we have a spokesdog, Bernice. Might work. Get the idea?

Continue thinking about the campaign. Organize your notes and bring them to the final exam. I will ask for specific things, e.g., Describe three communications you would use and tell why you would use them. Or, Describe your theme logo (I won't grade your art). What kinds of research would you need for the campaign?

REVIEW: A strategic public-relations plan should include goals, objectives, strategies, tactics, a time line and budget. What other things can go into your plan? A situational analysis or an introduction can be helpful in setting the stage and serving as a constant reminder of the reasoning underlying your plan. A listing of target audiences can aid in determining the best tactics.

If you prepare, you will find this part of the exam to be easy. If you don't prepare, this will be difficult because you will not know what I'm talking about. Ask in class about ideas you come up with. Please take this seriously.

Have a good break. I will.